With some amazing content being available on the OTT space, one show that really left me in admiration was the Huma Qureshi starrer Maharani. Season one received a fabulous response and now the team is all set to treat us to a spectacular Maharani Season 2 which releases on Sony LIV tomorrow. With this, I got an opportunity to speak to Huma about the amazing response the show received and also how she has managed to win hearts in her decade-long journey in showbiz. Being at her candid best, there were lots of things Huma spoke about from her work to her family.
Talking about playing Rani Bharti in Maharani, Huma said…
This was my first Zoom naration. I heard the script and fell in love with it, it was something I had never done before. I knew that to do this character I had to go completely deglamm or not care about how I look. I was like I cannot let the inner insecurities as a girl/ woman/ actress come to the fore, I had to really commit to it. I am so happy it was so well received.
I even spoke to Huma about completing a decade in Bollywood, also sharing how much I loved her performance in Leila. And Huma Qureshi replied,
My journey from Delhi has actually been quite interesting, I did theatre because I liked it, but I came from such a middle class home that I didn’t have the courage to even admit it to myself that I wanted to pursue acting like a serious profession. When you say I want to be an actress it comes with its own baggage and fears, I did not know a single soul in Mumbai, so for me to say it to my sweet middle class parents was like a bit of a thing. But it was just meant to be, growing up I was never into fashion or glamour. I am an actor from my soul, I know I look a certain way, but I had no insecurity for that. I don’t want to always be known as that pretty girl in a film. I feel I can do more and I demand to do more. It is so limiting to reduce women to their looks, clothes and that’s about it. We can do more. I can lead a film on my own shoulders, Deepa Mehta did that for me in Leila.
On playing different roles and doing so much amazing work, Huma shared…
If I wanted to do something safe and simple I should have done it back home in Delhi. A very important part of being an actor is also growing your skill set, learning something new and putting yourself in uncomfortable situation and characters. If I only had to play Huma Qureshi my whole life it will be very boring.
Well, there was so much more we spoke about in this interview, watch it here:
On the work front, other than Maharani Season 2, Huma will be seen in Double XL, Tarla, Pooja Meri Jaan, and Monica, Oh! My Darling.